The One We've Been Waiting For: Machete at Comic Con

Arizona's law partially blocked, Univision docked, Chilean senior's world rocked and more from Latino Loop, 7.28.10

Robert Rodriguez premiered seven minutes of his latest film, "Machete" starring Michelle Rodriguez and Danny Trejo, at Comic Con in San Diego last week. Rodriguez calls Machete "the first Latino superhero".

A federal judge blocked parts of Arizona's immigration law including parts that require officers to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws and to make warrantless arrests of suspected illegal immigrants. U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton also blocked parts of the law that require immigrants to carry their papers at all times as well as making it illegal for undocumented workers to look for employment in public places. The law goes into effect tomorrow.

Univision Radio reached a settlement with the FCC to pay $1 million dollars to the U.S. Treasury after it was revealed that several Univision stations and employees took part in a payola scandal. According to a Univision statement "the actions of these employees were undertaken without the knowledge of anyone at Univision outside of [Univision Music Group]".

Based on the 2010 Census findings, The New York Times has declared that "for the first time since the seventies, a majority of Manhattan's population is now non-Hispanic white." All the while touting gentrification and the "baby boom among its mostly Caucasian upper class."

SESAC Latina held its annual awards gala last week. Jeronimo Sada took home the Songwriter of the Year award and Alvani Music Publishing was awarded as Publisher of the Year. "Cinco Minutos" performed by Gloria Trevi and Horoscopos de Durango and written by Erika Ender was this year's "Song of the Year". Aleks Syntek received the SESAC Legacy Award.

Lawmakers in Catalonia passed a ban on bullfighting today. The ban goes into effect in 2012 and Catalonia is the first major Spanish region to ban the practice.

This year's Latin GRAMMY Awards will take place on November 11th in Las Vegas. Nominations will be announced on September 8th

According to a spokesperson for the Argentine Football Association, Diego Maradona's contract as coach of the Argentine national soccer team will not be renewed. Sergio Batista will take over the position temporarily.

Hispanics are now the nation's 2nd largest consumer market after white non-Hispanics. Marketers, realizing the challenges of reaching young, acculturated bilingual Hispanics, have begun to plan for the major role Latino's will play in replacing baby boomer retirees in the consumer marketplace.

Puerto Rico-based Banco Popular is changing it's name to Popular Community Bank for its mainland headquarters in Chicago to appeal to non-Hispanic customers. The name change could expand to it's 97 nationwide locations .

According to a Symantec annual report, Puerto Rico is the least spammed U.S. state or territory.

Venezuela severed diplomatic ties with Colombia and added about 1,000 soldiers on the border. President Hugo Chavez announced that Colombia's accusation of Venezuela housing leftist Colombian rebels was a hoax and an excuse for Colombia to initiate a U.S.-backed invasion.

Peter Fernandez, the voice of Speed Racer in the U.S. and writer of the American lyrics for the show's theme song died of cancer. He was 83.

"Project Runway" is slated to air a version in Latin America hosted by Rebecca De Alba.

Matt Garza, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher, threw the first no-hitter in franchise history and the fifth in the major leagues this season, in a victory against the Detroit Tigers on Monday.

Chilean president Sebastian Pinera announced that he will not pardon all elderly and sick prisoners convicted of human rights violations during the Pinochet dictatorship, as proposed by the Roman Catholic Church. Pinera will instead consider some pardons on a case-by-case basis.

U.S. and Guatemalan archaeologists have found a well-preserved burial chamber in northern Guatemala, which they believe is the tomb of the founder of a Maya dynasty.

Disney is reportedly working on a Spanish-language version of "The Golden Girls," called "Los a??os dorados", which will take place in Venezuela." Disney is hoping to distribute the show in the U.S.

A 31-year-old Spanish man known only as Oscar, the recipient of the world's first full facial transplant, debuted his new face for the media this week, just four months after his surgery.